A Thermally Stable Hierarchical Heterostructure for Outstanding Impact Resistance in a High-Entropy Alloy

A Thermally Stable Hierarchical Heterostructure for Outstanding Impact Resistance in a High-Entropy Alloy | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article A Thermally Stable Hierarchical Heterostructure for Outstanding Impact Resistance in a High-Entropy Alloy Shiteng Zhao, Guowang Xu, Guodong Li, Peiwen Tang, Qianyong Zhu, and 7 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7797562/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Face-centered cubic high-entropy alloys (FCC HEAs) offer remarkable strain hardening and damage tolerance, yet moderate strength limits their performance under dynamic loading. While nanostructures can largely improve strength, they are thermally unstable. To tackle this dilemma, here we design a thermally stable 3D-heterostructured (FeCoNi) 86 Al 7 Ti 7 alloy. The hierarchical heterostructure, consisting of bimodal core-shell architecture (grain sizes: core 14.4 μm / shell 500 nm), uniformly distributed nano-precipitates and nanosized oxide particles (in shell), remains stable up to 1000 °C. The heterostructured alloy achieves outstanding impact resistance, exhibiting 2.2 GPa yield strength at a strain rate of 5 × 10 3 s -1 . It is demonstrated that the massive martensitic transformation accommodates strain under impact loading, forms networks of nano-martensite that strengthen the material and sustains plasticity. Strain partitioning in the core-shell heterostructures provides potent back-stress hardening, while profuse interfaces facilitate martensite nucleation. The synergy of heterogeneous deformation, precipitation strengthening, and thermally stabilized nanostructures establishes a robust design pathway for alloys with exceptional strength and impact resistance across extreme conditions. Physical sciences/Materials science/Structural materials/Mechanical properties Physical sciences/Materials science/Structural materials/Metals and alloys high entropy alloys heterostructure impact resistance thermal stability Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files SupplementaryInformation.docx Supplementary Information Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7797562","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":528526924,"identity":"a20dd4da-4ae0-4e3f-81e5-df8132b9a17f","order_by":0,"name":"Shiteng Zhao","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAwUlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYFCC5AYQKQciDjwgTksiSIuBMVhLAilawCQDUVrk2xObP/748yd9ftjhh0Bb7OR0GwhoMTjzsE1Css0gd+PtNAOglmRjswOEtEgktjEYNgC1zE4AaTmQuI2QFvkZic0fEv4YpBvOTv9AnBaGG4kNEgfYDBLkpXOItAXkF8nGNmPDDdI5BQcSDIjwi3x78mFgiMnJy89O3/zhQ4WdHEEtCOvAKg2IVQ62roEU1aNgFIyCUTCiAACP9kkiCHCz2AAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4828-9651","institution":"Beihang University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Shiteng","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhao","suffix":""},{"id":528526925,"identity":"c54bf158-24e1-43d0-8d4e-4f9f0c3cc806","order_by":1,"name":"Guowang Xu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Beihang University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Guowang","middleName":"","lastName":"Xu","suffix":""},{"id":528526926,"identity":"50cfe13d-8086-4286-a367-124a190d5d4e","order_by":2,"name":"Guodong Li","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Beihang University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Guodong","middleName":"","lastName":"Li","suffix":""},{"id":528526927,"identity":"6d985195-a7b1-401b-8bb3-89db1b0481f2","order_by":3,"name":"Peiwen Tang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Beihang University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Peiwen","middleName":"","lastName":"Tang","suffix":""},{"id":528526928,"identity":"6a6f95e4-b42e-4c6a-89cb-232a89fd1ab5","order_by":4,"name":"Qianyong Zhu","email":"","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5313-7823","institution":"School of Materials Science and Engineering, Beihang University; 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While nanostructures can largely improve strength, they are thermally unstable. To tackle this dilemma, here we design a thermally stable 3D-heterostructured (FeCoNi)\u003csub\u003e86\u003c/sub\u003eAl\u003csub\u003e7\u003c/sub\u003eTi\u003csub\u003e7\u003c/sub\u003e alloy. The hierarchical heterostructure, consisting of bimodal core-shell architecture (grain sizes: core ~14.4 μm / shell~500 nm), uniformly distributed nano-precipitates and nanosized oxide particles (in shell), remains stable up to 1000 °C. The heterostructured alloy achieves outstanding impact resistance, exhibiting 2.2 GPa yield strength at a strain rate of 5 × 10\u003csup\u003e3\u003c/sup\u003e s\u003csup\u003e-1\u003c/sup\u003e. It is demonstrated that the massive martensitic transformation accommodates strain under impact loading, forms networks of nano-martensite that strengthen the material and sustains plasticity. 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